Paranaguá port handles 47% of Brazil's chicken exports

The Port of Paranaguá in Paraná accounted for 47.3% of Brazil's chicken exports between January and May 2026, shipping 1.04 million tonnes of frozen poultry and generating US$ 1.88 billion in FOB value. China was the largest destination, importing 114,200 tonnes (11% of the total), while other markets included South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Saudi Arabia, reaching more than 120 countries. The port’s extensive refrigerated infrastructure – over 5,200 cold plugs – was highlighted as a key advantage.

In the adjacent state of Santa Catarina, agricultural cooperatives contributed 27.45% of the state’s export value in 2025, amounting to US$ 2.18 billion. Protein products (poultry and pork) represented 76.59% of the cooperatives’ export value and 39% of the state’s shipments, with more than 717 000 tonnes shipped. The cooperatives’ trade reached markets across the Middle East, Japan, Africa, China, North America and Europe, underscoring their role in Brazil’s broader protein export sector.